Keeping CMU affordable

By Ian Margol&nbsp|&nbsp

Posted: Thu 9:13 PM, Aug 22, 2013&nbsp|&nbsp

Updated: Fri 7:16 AM, Aug 23, 2013

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) Over the past several years, Colorado Mesa University has been working hard to continue to make school costs affordable for it's students and now those efforts may soon pay off.

During a speech at the University of Buffalo, President Obama announced a proposed new rating system for colleges in the U.S. to determine how financial aid is distributed.

According to the president's proposal, a highly ranked school would receive larger grants and more affordable student loans.

Something CMU Director of Financial Aid, Curt Martin, says could have a big impact on the school.

"75% of the students that are at Colorado Mesa University receive some type of financial aid, grants, loans, work study," says Martin. "The criteria that has been proposed includes rating schools based on their affordability, retention, what they're doing to assist students not only to afford college but to graduate."

CMU costs an average in-state student less than $20,000 a year between tuition, housing, meal plans and supplies including books.

Meanwhile, CU Boulder and Denver University cost upwards of $24,000 for the same thing.

Students like senior Mara Nielson say, that's enough of a difference to make the choice of where to attend school, an easy one.

"I definitely think that CMU is a great option for students looking to go to school and avoid the trap of student loans when the average student is graduating with $27,000 in debt," says Nielson,

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